|
 Frontpage
 To the Article list
"Holy Family" > part 1 > part 2 > part 3 > part 4 > part 5
 Photo serial from the holy family articles
Article about the first christian monastery
List of photo serials
 Printer friendly version
Email this page to a friend
From Monasticism to the White House
Part 2 of five articles
In the first article we left the Roman soldier wondering how this family down at the road could mean something for history.
Below the fortress where he stood, the same family continued the ancient "Way of Horus" to Egypt. Most likely he did not even remember them when the evening came.
Night turned day and the day went dark again in front of the family many a time. On and on they traveled, guided by the advice of the winged travel advisor. At the north west edge of Sinai they passed Al-Kantara and could at last salute the river Nile. Part of the Nile that is, as the flood so far north (down) already had been divided into branches and had created a green delta.
 |
Map showing the road through Sinai, the Nile delta and to Babylon (Cairo).
See full map
|
In the eastern Delta they passed the city Tell Basta. When the Holy Family came here, it was most likely the Greek name Bubastis that still was in use (only thirty years after the Greek / Macedonian Cleopatra VII was concurred by the Roman Empire), but the original Egyptian name was Per Bastet ("House of Bastet").
Aha - someone thinks now - at least many of those with affection for cats will know that this was the place for the main temple of the Cat goddess Bastet.
The Greek historian Herodotos tell us from his journey to Egypt some hundred years before year zero, that it was death penalty for killing a cat. Still, remember that this was in a time where the ancient religion and culture was on its "way down" - as it was hardly the cat or any other animal that originally was worshipped. From what we can read, it was more likely the concept or quality of each animal...
The height of this religion was history when the Holy Family passed the temple of Bastet. Most likely the small Jesus child did not think so much about that, but was most impressed with the cats themselves in this Cat Capital of the ancient world.
Strange animals these cats! An professor in the field of "cat-expertice" once said that cats most likely were the only animal that had not "been tamed" - as they rather had tamed themselves out of convenience...
In Belbais the Holy Family took shelter under a tree which later became a holy place for pilgrimages.
When the "Muslim warrior" Napoleon came to Egypt (well at least Napoleon ordered the distribution of pamphlets in Cairo saying that he in heart was a Muslim...), legend tells us that some of his soldiers came to Belbais. Staying there they tried - for some obscure reason - to cut down the mentioned tree, but when the tree started bleeding they departed in great fear. The tree itself survived until year 1850.
From Belbais the Holy Family and the donkey traveled on and passed today's Samanud, - which then still bore the Greek name Sebennytos. In ancient Egyptian times it was known as Tjeboutjes and was capital of the 12 Nome (district) of Lower Egypt. The temple here was dedicated to the god Onuris-Shu.
In Samanud the child Jesus blessed a well, the Christians in the area can tell - and a Church of Virgin Mary was later built around this well.
The whole Nile Delta was crossed by the Holy Family - until they came out in the desert again and to a valley that was famous for it's sodium salt recourses. In "real" ancient times the valley witnessed many an expedition to collect natrun, which was a main ingredience in the embalming process. Today the area is called Wadi (Valley) Natrun.
The whole valley was blessed by the Holy Family, and became soon one of the most important area for Christianity in Egypt - famous for its monasteries.
Imagine; Virgin Mary on our now so famous donkey - small quick steps - but oh so long a journey. Did she know that while they were traveling in companionship - that in a family's footstep, there would grow a yearning for loneliness and solitude?
Maybe she did not know - still, the fact is that this was exactly what was going to happen. Small footsteps but huge effect, said the little donkey - knowing that this country soon would become the place where Christian monasticism would first arise.
St. Antonius (251 - 356) settled as hermit in a cave in the mountains of the Red Sea coast, some hours drive from today's Cairo and some 30 kilometers south from the city of Suez. At the foot of the mountain that owned the cave, a community soon arose - and voila - the "desert fathers" and the monasticism of Christianity was born. After his death the settlement became permanent with a communal chapel and refectory (dining hall). We know that in 13C many European pilgrims visited the monastery and that the monastery was represented at the Council of Florence (1438 - 1445).
The famous St. Macarius (300 - 390), originally a camel driver - met, while he was young, St. Antonius. Later he was to carry the heritage of St. Antonius to the blessed Wadi Natrun valley when he sought solitude there in 330. A loose community of hermits grew, who settled in cells in the hills. Soon a system emerged around the desert fathers of Wadi Natrun with a church and, soon, a whole monastery. The Monastery of St. Macarius later became fortified by the Patriarch Shenute I (859 - 880) - not because of fans on pilgrimage, but against attacking Bedouins.
So the desert valley the Holy Family had blessed west of the Nile delta became home of 4 important monasteries. The Syrian Monastery with the famous church of the Holy Virgin Mary, the Monastery of Pshoi and the Monastery of the Romans where unique medieval wall paintings have just been discovered during recent restoration in the old church of the Holy Virgin.
The little donkey tripped as a proud faithful donkey should, now eastwards from Wadi Natrun. Then suddenly one morning something unbelievable rose in east together with the sun. It was the White House - house...
Wonder what the White House is doing in the Egyptian Desert?
Well then you just have to read "Pyramids - Oh Holy Liberty" and follow the Holy Family and our donkey to see what is behind this horizon.
NEXT ARTICLE:
PYRAMIDS - OH HOLY LIBERTY
specialist in groups
and special interest tours
www.egyptmyway.com/contactforms.html
MyWay Travel a.s.
www.egyptmyway.com
Tel. Egypt: +2 012 7739149
Tel. Norway: +47 45661608
Epost: post@egyptmyway.com
Org. number: NO 987 180 633
Send a
Post Card
|
 To the top
Frontpage
To the Article list
To the Photo list
Printer friendly version
Email this page to a friend
Except where otherwise noted, this site is
licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Text & photo, Arnvid Aakre
www.egyptmyway.com
First Published February 1999
|
